Wilco - The Whole Love

Chicago, Illinois finest Wilco are back after a two year wait with their latest album, The Whole Love. The follow up to 2009's Wilco (The Album) finds the legendary alt-country group trying some different grooves while still retaining their basic musical philosophy that has made them so renowned within the indie rock circle.

The disc starts off with the 7 minute long "Art of Almost", an electric guitar tinged number that allows lead singer Jeff Tweedy to formally reintroduce himself to his listening audience on this track that travels into a different trajectory that past Wilco songs have ventured into. The album's first single "I Might" is classic, vintage Wilco with country tinged melodic undertones running rampant throughout this song with a just hint of that electric guitar flavor to keep things current and eclectic at the same time. "Dawned On Me" brings back the electric edge just a little bit, but the band is able to adapt to the newly entrenched sound quite well here with Jeff's vocals adding a distinct flavor to the song that you can't find anywhere else. "Black Moon" is a laid back, acoustic based number that brings down the kinetic energy just a little bit and adds a hint of country tinged flavor that gives this song a slight advantage over the others.

We get ready for the disc's second half with "Open Mind" a luscious, warm hearted ballad that you'll be sure to replay multiple times after this album has concluded, a perfect song from inside and out. "Capitol City" is a pure, throwback country flavored tune that makes you feel like that you've been transported down to somewhere in the South, taking in all the sights and sounds that are around you at every turn. "Rising Red Lung" is a bare bones, acoustic number that allows the listener to dissect each part of the song to pick up all the sum of its parts and how this song came to fruition in the first place. We get ready to close out the album with my favorite song off the album, the disc's title track, a song that strikes a perfect balance with its melodic guitar riffs blending in nicely with Jeff's intricate vocal style adding a great deal to be desired to this stellar track. "One Sunday Morning (Song For Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)" wraps it all up with a toned down, mellow affair that brings in all the sounds that have most populated the album and helps translate it for us in musical terms that we can all understand, wrapping up a solid and well constructed album. Wilco have started to get more and more notice in the music scene these days after being together as a band for about 17 years now, and they have gotten respect for not deviating much whatsoever from their original music style, and longtime fans have respected them for the same reason and for being a musical escape from the drudgery of their everyday, normal working lives.

All together, a cohesive and linear effort here from Wilco, who have continued to bring their blend of alt-rock to a devoted and enthusiastic audience and have also learned to adapt to the ever changing musical climate at the same time.

                                                                                                                         Album Score: 3.5/5

Track Listing:

1. Art Of Almost
2. I Might
3. Sunloathe
4. Dawned On Me
5. Black Moon
6. Born Alone
7. Open Mind
8. Capitol City
9. Standing O
10. Rising Red Lung
11. Whole Love
12. One Sunday Morning (Song For Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)